FedEx has broken ground on a state-of-the-art, fully automated air cargo hub at Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), marking a major logistics investment in western India.
The 27,870 sq. m. facility represents a long-term investment of over ₹2,500 crore (US$275 million) and is being developed in partnership with Adani Airport Holdings Ltd. Once operational, the hub is expected to generate more than 6,000 direct and indirect jobs across logistics, warehousing, transportation, and allied services.
The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by Devendra Fadnavis, Raj Subramaniam, President and CEO of FedEx; Richard Smith, CEO of FedEx’s airline division and COO of international operations; Kami Viswanathan, President, FedEx Middle East, Indian Subcontinent and Africa (MEISA); and Jeet Adani.
The hub will serve as a regional consolidation and redistribution centre, linking India with Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and the United States. According to Adani Airport Holdings, the project is designed to position Navi Mumbai as a strategic logistics gateway by integrating aviation infrastructure with nearby industrial corridors and maritime trade routes.
“This development reflects NMIA’s long-term vision of building integrated infrastructure that strengthens India’s trade competitiveness,” said Jeet Adani. “With its proximity to Jawaharlal Nehru Port, industrial corridors and multimodal transport networks, NMIA is uniquely positioned to support high-growth export sectors and enhance Maharashtra’s role as a global logistics gateway.”
The facility will feature advanced automated sorting systems, dimensional scanning, high-speed screening technology, and dedicated aircraft parking bays. These capabilities will enable simultaneous processing of inbound and outbound shipments, enhancing routing flexibility and improving transit time predictability.
FedEx noted that the hub will particularly benefit sectors dependent on time-sensitive global logistics, including electronics, engineering goods, pharmaceuticals, and perishables. It is also expected to strengthen export-import operations for micro, small and medium enterprises by improving reliability and reducing logistics costs.
“India’s competitiveness in global trade will increasingly depend on the reliability and speed of its logistics infrastructure,” said Kami Viswanathan. “Establishing this hub at NMIA allows us to integrate global network strength with India’s fastest-growing trade corridor, delivering greater certainty, speed, and efficiency to customers.”
Cargo operations at Navi Mumbai International Airport are projected to commence with an initial annual handling capacity of approximately 0.5 million metric tonnes, with plans to scale up to around 2.6 million metric tonnes as development advances.
The new hub further strengthens FedEx’s nearly three-decade presence in India and supports NMIA’s vision of becoming an integrated air freight and logistics platform for the region.
